Is It Normal To Gain Weight As We Grow Older

Is It Normal To Gain Weight As We Grow Older?

We are in the habit of thinking that it is normal to gain a little weight as we approach middle age. And its true, it is normal in the sense that most people do gain weight at that time.

But does that mean its inevitable? Does that even mean its OK? The answer is no.

There is no reason why we cannot be slim even as we get older.

As we age, the body goes through many changes. The metabolism slows down, so we have to pay more attention to what we eat, and probably eat a little less.

Fat may be stored in different places, making most people a little fatter around the abdomen. But that doesnt mean that we have to gain weight overall. Often, weight is lost from other areas such as the legs and arms. And even the belly fat can be minimized by a simple exercise plan.

It does not take much to keep us fit as we grow older. Sadly, many people just give up, and use their age as an excuse for being overweight.

This often means that they continue with unhealthy diet choices and take less and less exercise. These factors combined with getting older can cut our lives tragically short if we are not careful.

Therefore, it is even more important to pay attention to our health and our eating plan as we get older. Sometimes it may seem that the benefits do not show up as fast as when we were young, but the rewards will come in the end.

If we are fitter, not only will we probably live longer, but we will also enjoy that time more.

Exercise Helps You Eat Less

Exercise Helps You Eat Less

Some people dont like to exercise because they are afraid that it will make them hungry and lead to overeating.

In fact there is no need to worry about this. It is our blood sugar levels that make us feel hungry. When they are low, we start to think about food with more and more urgency.

So exercise does not make us feel hungry, provided we avoid quick fix foods like sugary snacks and fruit juice.

Then exercising can actually help the blood sugar to remain steadier so that we feel hungry less often.

Regular exercise raises the metabolic rate. This means that the body will burn oxygen more efficiently and use nutrients in a better way. It also helps to eliminate waste faster and more effectively.

All of this means that when you have a regular exercise routine, you will get better nourishment from the food that you eat. This way you will feel less hungry.

Of course, exercise also burns calories while we are doing it. We have two options when we want to lose weight: eat less, or use more.

Exercise helps us to do both of these things at the same time. It burns fat and encourages us to eat healthier food.

You will often find that when you start to exercise regularly, you will enjoy eating healthy food much more, and you will not crave the old junk foods any more.

Why Do We Eat Too Much

Why Do We Eat Too Much?

Why do we eat too much? Mostly its because of our food choices, and these go right back to our childhood.

Kids need a lot of energy. Their bodies can handle (and even need) a higher proportion of fat in their foods than adults. For example, its not recommended to give skim milk to kids … they need the full fat variety.

For the same reason, kids love sweet foods. In a primitive environment they would eat a lot of fruit for the energy that it gives. In our developed society, they grab as much sugar as they can. Unfortunately that means refined sugar, which comes without natures high fiber packaging to slow down absorption in the digestive tract.

Refined sugar has a very strong effect on a childs immature body. There is a massive blood sugar rush followed by a crash. Thats why so many kids go from hyperactive highs to sheer orneriness in such a short time.

And by the time we are adults, many of us are addicted to the highs that we get from the blood sugar rush. So we go on eating a lot more sugar than we need, and we deal with the crash by eating more sugar or refined carbohydrates, which give us almost the same rush as pure sugar.

Fortunately we can turn that around quite easily. If we stop eating sweet tasting foods (including sweeteners, diet sodas etc) then within 1-2 weeks our taste buds will adjust to what is natural for an adult.

Foods like carrot and potato will start to taste sweet. Pumpkin and corn may be too sweet. Leafy green vegetables, that taste bitter to kids, become much more palatable. And very quickly, we are eating healthier, lower calorie foods by choice.

Enjoy Your Food Even On A Diet

Enjoy Your Food Even On A Diet

If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you have to enjoy your food.

Of course, some of the things we are in the habit of eating every day may have to be cut out of our new plan. However, that doesnt mean that every meal has to be dull or tasteless. There are many ways to enjoy what we eat, and still lose weight.

1. Slow Down

Eating slowly has many benefits. First, thorough chewing helps the digestive process by breaking the food down before it is swallowed. Second, eating slowly helps us enjoy all of the different tastes of our food. Third, we are better able to recognize when we are full. All of this helps us not to over eat.

2. Eat Consciously

Most of us are in the habit of doing something else as well as eating, both at mealtimes and when snacking. We may be watching TV, reading, chatting, or even driving while we eat.

Make a point of eating with full awareness on what you eat, and you will find that you enjoy your food more. This makes it way more satisfying.

3. Introduce Variety

Most people approach a diet plan by looking for things to cut out, and then eating what is left from their previous diet. However, if you look closely at your weight loss program, you will probably find things there that you dont often eat.

There may even be things on the good food list (especially vegetables) that you never ate before. Why not try them?

Diets do not have to be restrictive. They can open up a whole new world of gastronomy!

Walk Before You Run

Walk Before You Run

Exercise is a vital part of any weight loss program. Even though we can lose the weight with diet adjustments alone, it comes off much more easily if the body gets a little fitter.

As the body becomes more active, it uses more calories all through the day. So exercise has an effect that lasts way beyond the few minutes that we spend on our exercise program.

Plus, we need to tone the muscles so that our body takes on a sculpted shape as it becomes thinner. Weight is not the only factor: looking good in and out of our clothes is important too.

It is best to start slow. Dont start running if you never even walk anywhere. If you are very overweight or inactive, consult your doctor before starting any exercise program. Then begin gently, starting at maybe 10 minutes a day for the first week. When that seems easy, start to increase the time or the difficulty of what you are doing.

There are many forms of exercise to choose from and it is important to find something that you will enjoy. Consider all of the possibilities: walking, running, cycling, swimming, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, using gym equipment, weightlifting, team sports, joining a class, working out to a DVD alone or with a friend …

Unlikely as it seems, most people do find exercise enjoyable. Its a biological fact – exercise releases endorphins that make us feel good. So find what is right for you and you will soon be looking forward to your daily session.

What Does A Diet Mean To You

What Does A Diet Mean To You?

The word diet means a lot of different things. At one level it means anything that we eat, as in The diet of the chimpanzee includes a lot of fruit. But for most of us, diet has come to mean something restrictive, that comes along with a lot of negative feelings.

To most people, the thought of going on a diet is depressing. It means that we cannot eat whatever we want. It means that we will be hungry all of the time, or so we think. It means a lot of struggle and stress and for what?

Most of us have dieted many times in the past and always gained back most or all of the weight. Its not surprising if we have negative feelings about diets.

The problem is that the idea of a diet is usually something short term. We go on a diet, and when we have lost some weight, we stop. Then, not being on a diet any more, we start to gain the weight back.

To be successful at maintaining our weight loss, we need to drop this idea of being on a diet for a period of time. Instead, think about the wider meaning of the word diet, or call it a way of eating instead.

Getting slim is only half of the battle. The other half is staying slim, and for that we have to be doing things differently than how we did them before. Not just for a few weeks or months, but permanently.

Of course, this does not mean that we can never have dessert again for the rest of our lives. What it means is that as we approach our goal weight, we have to begin to get used to a new way of eating dessert. We might start eating it sometimes but not always, and having smaller portions than we were used to in the past.

This kind of permanent change in our way of eating is not so hard to do, but we must plan it ahead of time and introduce it gradually. That way, we will be much more likely to stay slim for the rest of our lives.

Weight Loss Pills Do They Work

Weight Loss Pills – Do They Work?

Weight loss pills are very popular with dieters, but do they actually work?

It would be so great if there was a magic solution that would allow us to go on eating whatever we wanted, but still lose weight.

There is a lot of choice with weight loss pills from prescribed drugs to natural health products. Often times, natural products can be just as effective as the chemical alternative, but they can still cause unwanted reactions so it is important to check all of the possible side effects.

Some of the most effective weight loss pills are fat blockers which prevent the body from digesting some of the fat that is consumed.

With these products it is important to remember that not all of our calories are consumed as fat. When we eat a lot of sugar or other carbohydrates, these can also be converted into fat stores by the body. Fat blocking pills will not prevent this happening.

Nor do they block 100% of the fat that we eat. This is because some fat is essential to our health. Blocking all of it from being digested would stop us from getting some of the nutrients that we need.

Another type of weight loss pill is one that claims to reduce the appetite. In theory, this means that a person would eat less.

The problem with this is that most people who are overweight do not only eat when they are hungry. If they did, they would not be overweight. So having less of an appetite will not necessarily mean that you eat less.

Whatever weight loss solution you choose, it is vital to make sure that you are receiving all of the nutrients that a healthy body needs while you are dieting.

It is never worth taking anything that could endanger your life, just to lose weight. Losing weight should be part of a process that improves your health.